Fence-post



(No Mode 1.) 8 S. D. HARMON & J. M. TERRELL.

FENCE POST.

No. 379,109. Patented Mar. 6, 1888.

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STEPHEN DECATOR HARMON AND J EPHTHAE MILTON TERRELL, OF SPRING HILLS, OHIO.

FENCE-POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379,109, dated March 6, 1888.

Application filed December 28, 1887. Serial No. 259,198. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, STEPHEN DEOATOR HARMON and JEPHTHAE MILTON TERRELL, citizens of the United States, residing at Spring Hills, in the county of Ghampaign and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fence Posts; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it .appertains to make and usethe same.

Our invention relates to fence-posts, and has for its object the provision upona post of a flange of peculiar shape and with a peculiar mode of attachment to the post. To achieve these objects we prefer to make a post of a general T shape in cross-section, the body portion of the post, which is the head of the T, standing in line with the fence-wires, and the fin portion of the post, which is the body of the T, at right angles thereto, the plate forming the head portion of the T having also provisions for attaching staples or clamps for holding the fencewiresin it. The two plates may be'cast integral, or may be separate pieces united in any suitable way.

The flange consists of a plate of metal of suitable thickness, made substantially in the shape of a Greek cross, with three of its limbs or-arms mortised to receive the plates of the post, while the fourth member may be solid. It is held upon the post by means of a key, which has a seat in the side of the post, on whichthe solid side of the flange lies, and also a seat in the said side of the flange. The pin is provided with a head, which forms a stop against which the flange rests when the post is driven into 'place. Shoulders on the plates of the post likewise serve as stops above the flange.

The accompanying drawings illustrate what we consider the best means for carrying our invention into practice.

Figure 1 is a side view of the postand flange after being driven into the ground. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a view of the flange removed from the post. Fig. 4 is a side view with a portion of the post and flange broken away to show the pin and manner of fastening.

Fig. 5-is a perspective view of a portion of the post, showing the shoulders against which the flange rests.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where they occur.

A is the post, composed of the wings a aa' two of which, a a, stand in line and may be termed a single plate. The wing a stands at right angles to the wings a a. All three of these wings may be cast integral, or the two a a may be cast together and the right-angle one secured to them; but we prefer to cast all three integral. The wires of the fence find support in staples or clamps secured in'the wings a a, or in one ofthern, as may be desired.

B is a flange, which is secured upon the post by means of a key, b, which rests in aseat, (1*, in the post and fits in a seat or channel, 11*, in the flange. It is provided with a head, 1/. Shoulders s on the post, coinciding in height with the under sideof the head, serve to limit the protrusion of the post through the flange. The flange has the general shape of a Greek cross, and has mortises in three of the limbs of the cross, into which the wings ofvthe post are inserted. The wings of the post are thus surrounded on all sides by a flange of about equal width all round, which serves to hold the post firmly in an upright position, while the limb of the flange,which extends out from the front of the post, insures against sagging in that direction.

In use the post is pushed through the flange far enough to cause the flange to be frictionally engaged with the key, which rests firmly in position in its seat on the post. Then the post is driven into the ground and gradually forced farther through the flange, which latter will be sunk into the ground by the driving of the post a sufficient distance to insure stability-say six or eight inches.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a Tshaped fence post having a recessed key-seat in one side, of a four-limb flange, three of the limbs being mortised to fit over the respective wings of the post, and a key inserted between the other limb of the flange and the post and fitting in the key-seat, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a T-Shaped fencepost having a recessed key-seat in one side, of a four-limb flange, three of the limbs being mortised to flt over the respective wings of the post, and the other limb channeled, asshown, and a key fitted in the channel in the limb and the recessed seat in the post, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a T-shaped fencepost having a shoulder on each wing, the said shoulders all lying in the same plane, of a flange having four limbs, three of which are mortiscd to fit over the post below the shoulders, and a key'for insertion between the other limb and the post, substantially as described.

STEPHEN DEGATOR IIARMON. JEIHTIIAE HILTON TER/PLELL.

lVitnesses:

GEo. W. EACHER, T. T. HALE. 

